Updated October 24, 2026, 10:39 p.m. ET
Follow the biggest storylines, upsets and wins from college football’s Week 8 with live analysis across the USA TODAY Network.
The end-of-game chants told the story even better than the scoreboard.
“Overrated! Overrated!” » echoed throughout Nippert Stadium.
Hit another undefeated team on college football’s dwindling list.
And now Texas Tech needs help, both to defend its Big 12 championship and to return to the College Football Playoff.
The Red Raiders entered Saturday undefeated and ranked No. 5 in the American LBM Coaches Poll. They left Cincinnati with a suddenly very different season after Scott Satterfield’s Bearcats handed them a 37-24 loss, Cincinnati’s first home victory against a top 10 opponent since 2006.
For Texas Tech, the damage goes beyond a single loss.
The Red Raiders will not face current No. 2 BYU or No. 9 Utah during the regular season. Both are now ahead of Texas Tech in the Big 12 standings, while Tech still lacks anything resembling a marquee victory in the first half of the season. His non-conference schedule included FCS program Abilene Christian, Oregon State and Sam Houston State.
And he ran away quickly.
Cincinnati turned a close game into a tie over the final eight minutes of the first half, burying Texas Tech with a 21-0 blitz.
Quarterback JC French IV sparked the avalanche with the first of his four touchdown passes, finding Cole Tabb to turn a 6-3 deficit into a 10-6 lead.
Texas Tech never led again.
French added two more touchdown passes before halftime, then delivered his fourth late in the third quarter to extend Cincinnati’s advantage to 31-15.
Tabb did a lot of damage himself. The junior defensive end led the Bearcats on the ground, gacking a Texas Tech defense that entered the day ranked 5th nationally against the run for over 170 yards. His 58-yard touchdown run was the first rushing score the Red Raiders had given up all season.
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